fireman@NEWTON.PHYSICS.PURDUE.EDU (Robert Dale) (10/19/89)
ADMINISTR ALL 04 TTAA00 KWRH 182052
TO: ALL NWS SITES
FROM: BOB RICHEY - CHIEF MSD/WESTERN REGION
SUBJECT: SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE
AT 5:04 PM PDT TUESDAY OCTOBER 17, 1989 AN EARTHQUAKE OF APPROXIMATE
MAGNITUDE 6.9 STRUCK THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. THE EPICENTER
OF THE QUAKE WAS ABOUT 50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SAN FRANCISCO.
NO MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED TO ANY NWS OFFICES IN THE BAY
AREA. FORECAST AND OBSERVATION PROGRAMS WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE
FOLLOWING THE EARTHQUAKE IN SPITE OF THE LOSS OF COMMERCIAL POWER.
BACKUP GENERATOR POWER WAS USED AT THE WSFO FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS AS
WELL AS AT OTHER EQUIPMENT LOCATIONS SUCH AS NWR TRANSMITTER SITES.
AT PRESENT, ALL NWR CONSOLES AND TRANSMITTERS ARE WORKING. NWR
CONSOLES AT SFO SUFFERED DAMAGE WHEN THEY TIPPED OVER DURING THE
QUAKE BUT ARE NOW RUNNING ABBREVIATED PROGRAMS USING THE DECKS THAT
ARE STILL OPERATIONAL. THE WEST COAST MARINE CIRCUIT WHICH DELIVERS
INFORMATION FROM THE WSFO TO THE PT. REYES RADIOFAX TRANSMITTER WAS
OUT OF COMMISSION BUT IS NOW BACK IN OPERATION. OTHER COMMUNICATIONS
CIRCUITS SUCH AS THE NAFAX AND SATELLITE FEEDS WERE ALSO AFFECTED
BUT ARE BACK IN OPERATION. THE RTA AT WSO SFO REMAINS OUT OF SERVICE
BUT PARTS ARE ON ORDER AND THE ABT ENABLES THE OBSERVATION PROGRAM
TO CONTINUE.
ALL NWS STAFF ARE SAFE AND UNINJURED. WE ONLY KNOW OF ONE CASE WHERE
A NWS EMPLOYEE COULD NOT RETURN HOME DUE TO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO HIS
RESIDENCE.
IN AN UNRELATED INCIDENT, ON TUESDAY MORNING A FIRE RAGED THROUGH
THE HOUSE PETER FELSCH, A 3 YEAR METEOROLOGIST INTERN AT SAN
FRANCISCO, WAS RENTING. THOUGH NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE EARTHQUAKE,
THE FIRE WAS DEVASTATING FOR PETER AND HIS FAMILY. THE FELSCHS LOST
EVERYTHING THEY HAD IN THE FIRE WITH NO MEANS OF REPLACEMENT.
IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR US AS NWS EMPLOYEES TO HELP AS WE CAN ONE OF
OUR OWN WEATHER SERVICE FAMILY MEMBERS IN HIS TIME OF NEED.
DONATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED ON BEHALF OF PETER AT WESTERN REGION
HEADQUARTERS. IF YOU ARE ABLE AND WOULD LIKE TO HELP PETER SEND YOUR
DONATION TO:
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WESTERN REGION
P.O. BOX 11188, FEDERAL BUILDING
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84147
ATTN: W/WR - BETTY TRENTHAM
[MAKE CHECKS OUT TO PETER]
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE OFFERS OF HELP AND CALLS OF CONCERN THAT HAVE
COME FROM OTHER OFFICES AND REGIONS.
DST
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